New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-12-31
LESTER WONDERS WHO HE Is.
THE QUEER EXPLANATION OF A MYSTERY.

SIMILAR IN NAME But DIFFERENT IN OFFICIAL
LIFE-wHAT DOES THE ADVERTISEMENT MEANT
who wanted TO see an cx-United States
Minister TO Italy badly enough to advertise for
him, another man who thought that he might fill
the bill though he was not quite sure Of 1t and
several reporters brought into contact yes
tcrday by this advertisement:
ANY information Of the lion. Edward Lester formerly
Minister italy. can
or address, \. T =. room H. 2a3 broadway Nsw-York
An ex-Cnited States Minister and a Democrat,
too, does not often get lost in this city. as the
tone Of the advertisement would seem to indicate;
but what is the most interesting feature OF the
case is that the advertiser swears that the long
lost is his personal friend, and that he was
United States Minister to Italy, while the
long-lost one, who answers the advertisement,
swcars that he does not know the advertiser. and
that he was never United States Minister to Italy,
only a ConsulGencral to Genoa, and besides this
his PERSONAL friend has got his the long-loSt
ones name wrong in the advertisement.
RFSCrFD FROM EXTRrME POVERTY.
Isaac Simonson inserted the advertisement. lie
is secretary Of the Masonic Guild and Mutual
Benefit Association at No. 2l3 Broadway. lie
was once the private secretary of Ex-Governor
Moses Of South Carolina, who is now In prison
somewhere Mr. Simonson is Hebrew and lit
tie old man with white beard. lie told his
story as if Mr.. Lester and he had been old asso-
GATES Mr. Lester, he said, was now In TINS
city AT the Putnam House, n poor broken-down
old man. living on the charity Of an artist and OF
/" Joe" Howard, the newspaper writer. ADout
two m nths ago the old ex-Minstcr became re-
duccd O hard pan, rs Mr.. Smonson put IT, ana
his friends rescued him from extreme poverty. li@
had heard all this from information that the adj
vertiscmcnt la brought him. Now he wanted to
see Mr. Lester, who had been quite man In MS
day. NJ.
lister plcnipotcntiary to Italy by President LIN
coin. Before that he bad been Unitarian mn
lister at Utica, n y. He remained IN lialy i1ur
or five wears and then came TO TINS Guy, ~
ligious differences with his wife brought anont y
sep alton. Mr. Testers entrance INTO ponurhI
IL a sort of folng from grace from hcr POM
{ view Next Mr. SmonSon SAYS Mt lFs'cr
hcrar his literary work. contributing 10 liar-
pew MAGAZINE" writing n history OF New-McNlc1
G. atrial America. end sketches "t prominent N.u,m
Amer ans Mr. Simonson knew him intimately
six J. ,rs aoo when the old g"nt|"mln hocamc III
tcrcs ID in syndicate Of which General Grnt was
tho hoad and which WIS formed 10 gINc INC NJ
ted States better information about the MINER
alogv ~ Mexico and South America. NJ thai tlne
Nr Simonson wanted TO exchange some pr.prry
he held IN NU"a'an re%unr,me VI hcId h[, Mr.
Lester The transfer was not entirety tU''.,I
and some tcchn.oaliv had 70 hc ar'"I "u Nv a,'
LEGISLATURE last year hcforc, It c"n,d '' NJ M
eurnni,itd IN the meant IT, ioN' SIM "i WI
Lester and had advert Sod for HIM
Mr.. Irsrrr lis VINO " Is
"Who do q T. s. the initials used in INC
Advertisement represent" Mr. Simonson was asked
"a prominent business man," he replied WIN
wink. 1T Is not "
Mr. Lester Was found ~ the Putnam House. lie
is a inc-looking old mnn Of scvcnty-one years.
lie lad seen the advert scmcnt and was Won1criha
.. he said, "Who IN thunder he WAS himself
nryhow?7 lie had replied ~ the advcrtisrmch''
but had received no .nswcr.
81 Am not Edward {. LESTER said he. am
Charles Elward Lester. ! WAS never nicd States
NniStor TO Italy. ! was Consul General to '"h"I
under President Tyler aud Polk never was %
minister Of the Gospel though have preached nll
nv life / am an old newspaper man. dont
know Mr. Simonsonr Mr. Lester said that he
'tucw nothing bout mincralogy. but he was thc
founder ~ Cypress Hill Cemetery. lie never hhn
arVthin., 20 DO with syndicate that General 'rhnt
vas c0nncc'ci with iui he knew cn"lh tram, ana
President Pierce and Daniel Webster rs Tor tha''
and know Toe Howard. hlc-s him. he CON
rludcd, Int don't know Mr. Simonson In me
American Encyclopedia there j. sketch 81 Mr.
Lester which mentions him a. the author OF
dozen works lie IS ENGAGED now in literary Work
and wondering who Nj Sim"ns"n -